Float device



July 17, 1956 A. L. JOHNSON, JR

FLOAT DEVICE Original Filed March 50, 1949 United States Patent '0 FLOAT DEVICE Alfred L. Johnson, Jr., Williams Bay, Wis., assignor of fifty per cent to Thomas M. Nickles, Blythe, Ga.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 84,423, March 30, 1949. This application August 10, 1955, Serial No. 527,452

5 Claims. (Cl. 9-9) This invention pertains to a marker buoy and, more particularly, to a device carried by a boat, or other object normally capable of floating, which is released when the boat sinks, to mark the position of the sunken boat, the float device being provided with a line preferably of suflicient strength whereby the boat may be raised thereby.

It is an object of this invention to provide a buoy marker, adapted to be carried by a boat, and released when the boat is sunk to mark the position thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a marker buoy which occupies little space, is inexpensive, yet is automatically operative should the vessel carrying the same sink.

Another object of the invention is to provide a marker buoy of simple, yet sturdy construction which is provided with a line of suflicient strength to raise or help raise the sunken vessel to which it is applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide a marker buoy construction wherein the lines and buoy are readily releasable when the craft carrying the device sinks, and wherein the constructionis such that parts are guided to operative position.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the device and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts:

Figure l is a top plan view of a boat provided with a marker buoy embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation through the marker buoy and a portion of the boat deck showing the float and lead line of the construction embodying the invention; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation through the lifting line storage compartment, and showing the attachment thereto to a portion of a boat, as the keel.

In the construction illustrated, the boat 10 is provided with the deck 12 in which the buoy assembly 14 embodying the invention is adapted to be mounted, the boat, as shown, being provided with the keel 16, transverse ribs 18, and bottom plates (or planking) 20.

The buoy or marker device comprises the float supporting and lead line storage cylinder 22 gradually flaring adjacent the top thereof as at throat 24 and being provided with the transverse flange 26 adapted to be secured to the deck 12 in a water tight manner. The gradually flaring throat 24 may have a section wherein the curves of the throat are sections of parabolas, hyperbolas, spheres or the like. The cylinder 22 extends downwardly and at the bottom thereof is provided with the inturned and upturned flange 28 for supporting the lead line support and cone guide 30. The cone guide 30 is substantially frustoconical in shape, the lower edges thereof being received Ice:

in the recess formed by flange 28 and the top thereof being apertured as at 32. While the flange 28 is shown having the upwardly directed recess, a flat upwardly directed flange may be used.

The metallic buoy or float 34 is adapted to close the cylinder 22, the float consisting of the top 36 having the inturned flange 38 secured in a water-tight manner to the substantially conical body 40. The wall of the body member 40 is substantially cone shaped, having the general flared shape 41 of the throat 24 of the cylinder 22, adjacent said flared portion and is provided with the cork gasket 42 adapted to engage throat 24 and flange 26 of the cylinder. The inturned edge of flange 38 closely embraces or surrounds the edge of flange 26 preventing rattling of the float and also preventing ingress of water into the cylinder, the flare 41 of the float body 40 being such that should the vessel 10 sink, even on its side, here will be no wedging between the cylinder and the float, and the float will rise free.

The float, of course, is water-tight, and it as well as the other parts of the device are preferably of non-corrosive metal, and the float is provided with the securing ring 44 to which the lead line 46 is secured. The lead line passes downwardly through a suitable aperture 48 in the diaphragm 50, and is disposed in a ball, as the usual ball of cord, the line 46 passing into the ball adjacent the center so that it can be readily-withdrawn without knotting or snarling. The diaphragm 50 will prevent the ball 52 from rising, but is preferably made of material such as cardboard, which is dissoluble, whereby the line can readily be pulled free.

The lower end of line 46 is fixedly secured as at 54 to the upper end of the lifting line 56, and said upper end of said line 56 is supported preferably on the cone 39 as by a transverse pin 58 which extends through the line 56 and rests on the upper edge of the cone 30, whereby to prevent the upper end of the line 56 from sliding downwardly through the aperture 32.

Line 56 passes down into container 60, secured as by the braces 62 to the boat hull or framing, preferably in a position close to the bottom of the boat. The line 56 passes through the upper, gradually flared wall 64 of the container 60 and is coiled as at 66 therein, the lower end of the line passing downwardly through aperture 68, being secured as at 70 as to a suitable eye 72 which may be disposed in the keel.

It will thus be seen that when the device is in inoperative position, that is, when the boat 10 is afloat, it is in the relative position as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive. The float 14 is disposed to snugly close the upper end of the cylinder 22, and the lead line 46 is in its coiled position as shown at 52, being supported on the cone 3%. The lift line 56 is in its coiled position as shown at 66 in Figure 3, the upper end of the line being supported by the pin 58. Should the boat 10 sink, the float 14 will rise pulling the line 46 through the aperture 48 is diaphragm 5-9. Diaphragm 50 will prevent the ball 52 of the lead line from rising out of the cylinder 22 but the line 46 will be readily released in the event of an emergency (as sticking) as the diaphragm 50 is dissoluble. As the float rises it will, of course, pull up the lead line 46 and at least a portion of the lead line 56. The lifting line is preferably of suficient strength so that it may be used in raising the boat 1%. By way of example, it has been found that one-half inch line will lift up to 2,500 pounds. In recovering the sunken vessel, it is only necessary to retrieve the float l4, pulling the lead line enough to make the end of the lifting line 56 available for lifting purposes.

It is to be understood that this application is not to be limited by the exact embodiments of the device shown, which are merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course,

be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A marker buoy comprising a container including a substantially cylindrical wall having an upper flared-end terminating in a radial flange adapted to be secured to a boat deck, said container having an inturned flange at the lower end of said wall, a frusto-conical guide member supported on said inturned flange and provided with an aperture, a closure for said container, said closure comprising a float structure including a top member provided with a depending substantially frusto-conical wall, the lastnamed wall flaring toward the edge of said top member and being secured to said top member adjacent the marginal edge thereof, the marginal edge of said top member having a flange to receive the edge of said last-named wall, the inner edge of the flange of said top member being adapted to closely fit the edge of said radial flange, a waterproof gasket provided on said float structure for engagement with said radial flange, a relatively light line stored on said guide member and having the upper end thereof fastened to said float structure, a dissoluble line guiding element disposed in said container between said float structure and the stored line, a heavy line storage container disposed under the first-named container and including a cylindrical wall and an upper apertured wall gradually upwardly flared toward the aperture thereof, said last-named container also having an apertured lower wall, a relatively heavy line stored in said last-named container and having its lower end secured to a boat, the upper end of said heavy line extending through said guide member of the first-named container and being secured to the lower end of the light line, and a supporting member secured to said heavy line for sustaining the upper end of the heavy line above said guide member.

2. A marker buoy comprising a container including a substantially cylindrical wall having an upper flared-end terminating in a radial flange adapted to be secured to a boat deck, said container having an inturned flange at the lower end of said wall, a frusto-conical guide member supported on said inturned flange and provided with an aperture, a float closure for said container, said closure including a top member provided with a depending substantially frusto-conical wall, the last-named wall flaring toward the edge of said top member and being secured to said top member adjacent the marginal edge thereof, a relatively light line stored on said guide member and having the upper end thereof fastened to said float closure, a heavy line storage container disposed under the firstnamed container and including a cylindrical wall, an upper apertured wall and an apertured lower wall, and a heavy line stored in said last-named container and having its lower end secured to a boat, the upper end of said heavy line extending through said guide member of the first-named container and being secured to the lower end of the light line.

3. A marker buoy comprising a container including a substantially cylindrical wall having an upper flared-end terminating in a radial flange adapted to be secured to a boat, a frusto-conical guide member supported within the container adjacent the bottom thereof, a float closure for said container, said closure including a top member provided with a depending substantially frusto-conieal wall, the last-named wall flaring toward the edge of said top member and being secured to said top member adjacent the marginal edge thereof, the marginal edge of said top member being provided with a flange to receive the edge of said last-named wall, the inner edge of the flange of said top member being adapted to closely fit the edge of said radial flange, a waterproof gasket provided on said float for engagement with said radial flange, a relatively light line stored on said guide member and having the upper end thereof fastened to said float closure, a heavy line storage container disposed under the firstnamed container and including a cylindrical wall, an upper apertured Wall and an apertured lower wall, and a heavy line stored in said last-named container and having its lower end secured to a boat, the upper end of said heavy line being secured to the lower end of the light line.

4. A marker buoy comprising a container adapted to be secured in a boat, said container having an open upper end and an apertured guide member at the lower end thereof, a float closure for said container having a portion overlying and closing said open end of said container, said overlying portion including a top member provided with a depending substantially frusto-conical Wall, the last-named wall being secured to said top member adjacent the marginal edge thereof, a relatively light line stored on said guide member and having the upper end thereof fastened to said float closure, a dissoluble line guiding element disposed in said container between said float closure and the stored line, a heavy line storage container disposed under the first-named container and including a cylindrical wall having an upper apertured wall gradually upwardly flared toward the aperture thereof, said last-named container having an apertured lower wall, a heavy line stored in said last-named container having its lower end secured to a boat, the upper end of said heavy line extending through said guide member of the first-named container and being secured to the lower end of the light line, and a supporting element secured to said heavy line for sustaining the upper end of the heavy line above said guide member.

5. A marker buoy comprising a container including a substantially cylindrical wall having an upper flared-end terminating in a radial flange adapted to be secured to a boat deck, said container having an inturned flange at the lower end of said wall, a frusto-conical guide member supported on said inturned flange and provided with an aperture, a float closure for said container, said closure including a top member provided with a depending substantially frusto-conical wall, the last-named wall flaring toward the edge of said top member and being secured to said top member adjacent the marginal edge thereof, a relatively light line stored on said guide member and having the upper end thereof fastened to said float closure, a dissoluble line guiding element disposed in said container between said float closure and the stored line, a heavy line storage container disposed under the firstmentioned container and including a cylindrical wall having an upper apertured wall and an apertured lower wall, and a heavy line stored in said last-named container and having its lower end secured to a boat, the upper end of said heavy line extending through said guide member of the first-named container and being secured to the lower end of the light line.

No references cited. 

